If you’re visiting England, and you want to understand the nation’s favourite sport, then you owe it to yourself to spend some time at a Football League stadium. Certain teams in this country have achieved global renown and have fans in every corner of the globe.
The stadium that you choose to visit will largely depend on where in the UK you’re staying. Bear in mind that certain games will be in extremely high demand, and seats will typically be reserved for fans who’ve been on a waiting list for years. In other cases, it might be easy to pick up a ticket.
London
There are plenty of football teams plying their trade in the capital, and several of them do so in world-class stadiums. If you’re in North London, then you’ll find arch-rivals Arsenal and Tottenham just a short walk from one another. When these two footballing forces collide, the atmosphere is often raucous.
Then there’s Chelsea, in West London, who have recently splashed vast amounts of cash in restructuring their squad. Smaller teams like West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Brentford all command a loyal and committed following.
Manchester
Two of the country’s biggest teams make their home in Manchester and the surrounding area. Old Trafford is a stadium with a huge amount of history behind it, while the Etihad Stadium offers an arguably sleeker and more luxurious experience. Your choice here will tend to depend on your itinerary, and your allegiance. While Manchester City is the stronger club in terms of on-field success at the moment, Manchester United is the club with the greater global heft (second only to Real Madrid and Barcelona). Wherever you are in the world, the chances are strong that there’s a Manchester United fan in the vicinity.
Merseyside
Just a short drive from Manchester, we have Liverpool, which contains two major clubs: Everton and Liverpool. At the moment, it’s the latter that commands the greater appeal. The club’s stadium, Anfield, is famous for its incredibly hostile atmosphere and sense of occasion. Fans have travelled from all over the world to pay a visit to the stadium, and to pick up a replica shirt from the merchandise store.
Newcastle
There’s one footballing force that we should also mention. If you’re in Tyneside, then you’ll want to pay a visit to St. James’ Park. Newcastle United has recently been bought by a Saudi wealth fund, which has helped to propel it into the Champions League. The chances are close to overwhelming that we’ll see quite a lot of silverware flow to this part of the country in the years to come – and the atmosphere in this famous ground is something to behold!
Wembley Football Stadium photo by Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons
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